Intensity level leaves anthem man in awe
Mike Ditka dropped the first puck, Cubs pitcher Ryan Dempster wore the ugliest sport coat imaginable, and Vince Vaughn was among the celebrities in the house, but the loudest roar Saturday at the United Center, just like in the series opener Thursday, came when national anthem singer Jim Cornelison was on the ice.
We caught up with the tuxedo-clad Cornelison just before he worked his magic again.
Q: Was Thursday the loudest the UC has ever been?
Cornelison: I've never seen anything like that - it was incredible. I've done this off and on since 1996 and that was the loudest.
Q: Two days later, are you just as nervous?
Cornelison: I've spent most of the day trying to stay calm. If I wait to the last minute ... it becomes like a panic, it doesn't work.
Q: Do you have to sing louder with crowds like these?
Cornelison: I try to put as much energy into it as I can, but I'm at the mercy of the sound man, let's be real.
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